


Something Real

by littlekiwiboi42



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Childishness, Daddy!Steve, Don't Like Don't Read, Fix-It, Innocent, JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers-centric, Little!Bucky - Freeform, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Non-Sexual Age Play, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Steve Rogers, This is a safe place please don't ruin it, agere, bucky learns to cope, learning to cope, regressing to cope, sfw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29156103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlekiwiboi42/pseuds/littlekiwiboi42
Summary: Steve and Bucky are happy, only, Bucky is afraid to ruin it with a very untraditional way of coping."Bucky's keeping something from me, Nat."
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 20
Kudos: 102





	1. Scared to Be

Bucky was tired. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. It had been months since the last time he had been able to regress and the stress of not being able to cope was slowly creeping up on him. Generally, he'd slip into his headspace to soothe himself to sleep, as he found it an effective way to beat his insomnia. Only he was certain Steve was becoming suspicious of him and he was NOT about to let his best friend of over 70 years see him in such a state. After all, he probably wouldn’t understand and would more than likely be grossed out by it. In a fit of childish rebellion, Bucky threw his blanket over his shoulders and head and curled into a ball, fighting the urge to stick his thumb in his mouth, opting instead to bite the inside of his cheek. A couple minutes passed until the brunette heard a knock on the door.  
“Bucky? You awake?”  
In response, Bucky sunk lower into the bottom of his bed and let out a slightly high pitched grunt. Steve sighed and sat on Bucky’s bed. He pulled back the covers, revealing a scrunched up face as the light intruded Bucky’s dark ‘cave.’  
“Hey sweetheart... Time to get up.”  
Bucky scrunched his face into a pout “Dun wanna…” He whined. Steve frowned, a bit taken aback. He knew Bucky had a tendency to act pretty young at times but something about this seemed different. “Buck? You feeling ok, pal?” Bucky snapped suddenly out of his sleepy stupor. “Oh. Uh. Yeah, I’m good.” He sat up and smiled, placing a kiss on Steve’s lips. “My turn to make breakfast. How’s pancakes sound?” He said, quickly getting up and leaving the room.  
“Oh. Uh. Yeah.” Steve mumbled as he sat on Bucky’s bed, confused. As Steve got up he made a mental note to talk to Nat later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first couple of chapters are short I know. They'll get longer, promise. Also if you're looking for a set posting schedule.... uh... sorry? I'm only able to post every other day during the week in my first period.


	2. Worried About Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve turns to Nat with worries about Bucky. She thinks she's got the answer.

“Bucky’s keeping something from me.” Steve paced the length of Natasha Rominoff’s living room, clearly agitated. The Black Widow leaned forward as she listened to her friend’s worries. “Maybe it’s personal?” She guessed. Steve ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “No, he tells me everything. I know about every failed test, every embarrassing moment, every lie he’s ever told. This… this is different. He seems scared.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well… He sometimes acts… younger? I don’t know. When I woke him up this morning it seemed like that was what was going on and I was concerned that something was wrong so I asked if he was ok. He got, I dunno, startled?” Steve sighed. “He denied the notion and then just kind of avoided me the rest of the morning.”  
Nat went quiet. “He’s nervous… What do you mean by ‘he acts younger?’”   
Steve sat down and faced Nat. “I’m not entirely sure. He stops as soon as he notices me around. Maybe I’m imagining things? I’m just… worried about his health.”   
Nat smiled softly. “I think I know what’s going on. Keep in mind I only know about this because of a youtube video I saw a couple years back and I haven’t done any actual research but I think he’s voluntarily age regressing.”  
“What?”  
Nat sighed. “He’s putting himself into a mental headspace in which he’s a much younger age, more than likely to cope or relax. I’ve heard that there’s certain communities in which it’s a sexual thing, but from what you’ve told me I don’t think that’s the case for him.”  
Steve stared at the fiery haired woman, somewhat shocked. “That’s… a lot to take in.”  
“Look. You should probably ask Bucky about it. It’s bound to be a bit shocking and confusing for you if I’m right and it would probably be best to research it more but, if i’m right, be gentle when it comes up. If he hasn’t told you about it, it’s probably a sensitive topic. I’d bet he might even be scared of what you might think.”  
Steve rubbed his temples. “Yeah… that uh… that all makes a lot of sense. I should get back to my floor. Bucky will be back from training with Sam soon.”   
Nat placed a gentle hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Hey. It’ll be fine.”  
Steve gave her a small smile. “Thanks Nat. You’re the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHH!!! Thank you all for reading this and for all the kudos!! It's a major serotonin boost every time I get the notification in my email! I'm so sorry all of the current chapters are so short but I'm writing this in the one class I have access to a computer in and there's only so much you can do with an hour and a half! Again thank you all for reading this it means so so much to me!


	3. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Steve confronts Bucky about his coping mechanism, how will he react?

When Steve got to his and Bucky's shared floor of the Avengers compound, he found Bucky in the kitchen eating an apple. "Hey babe!" Bucky exclaimed, "I was wondering where you went."  
"I was at Nat's. Buck I think we should talk."  
Bucky's face fell and he let out a nervous laugh. "Am I in trouble?"  
"No! No. 'Course not. I just... think we need to talk." Steve sighed. Bucky set down his apple, thoughts of the worst scenarios flooding his head. "Alright... should we sit down?"  
"I think that would be a good idea."  
...  
"What's going on, Steve?" The brunette questioned, nervously pushing his long brown hair behind his ear.  
"Okay. I'm going to ask a hard question. Don't freak out, okay?"  
"...Okay.."  
"Buck, do you age regress?"  
Bucky's eyes grew wide. "H-how.... how did... what... I... uh..." His voice wavered and became quiet. "I... yeah... I'm sorry..."  
Steve wrapped his boyfriend in a tight hug, worried he'd upset the older man. "No no no!! Don't apologize! I'm not upset, I promise! Bucky, I just want to understand!"  
Bucky peered slightly upwards. "You....do?"  
"If it helps you then of course I do!!"  
"How'd you figure it out...?"  
Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "I talked to Nat..."  
"What! Why!?" Bucky exclaimed, whipping around suddenly to look at the blonde. Steve grabbed his hands and brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. "Shh... It's ok, Buck. I was worried that you were sick or something and I could tell you were hiding something, so I went to talk to Nat. She told me what she thought."  
"Oh... so she doesn't know?"  
"No, pal. And I won't tell her if you don't want her to know."  
"Okay..."  
Steve pulled Bucky into his side. "You okay, Buck?"  
Bucky nodded and laid his head on Steve's shoulder. " Jus' haven't regressed in a while. 'S hard without a caregiver and I didn't want you to see."  
"What's a caregiver?"  
" I's someone who takes care of me when I'm little."  
"Oh. That makes sense." Steve replied, "You don't have one?"  
"No."  
"Hmm." The blonde leaned over and grabbed his laptop which was resting on their glass coffee table. "You wanna help me do some research?"  
Bucky gave a small nod. He was kind of nervous and getting sleepy. He hadn't slept well the previous night and the feeling had been compounded by the nightmare that'd woken him up.  
Steve smiled and leaned to kiss his boyfriend on the forehead. "Where do you think I should start?"  
"YouTube."  
"Alright, pal." Steve said opening his laptop, "YouTube it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. How bored are you guy to be reading my fic, haha! But thank you so much! No seriously, thanks to each and every one of you. Thanks for being patient with my unscheduled posting and for dealing with such short chapters, I promise they're going to get significantly longer. You all mean so much to me and I love getting comments and kudos from you guys! If you have any criticism please feel free to post it, just be nice about it. I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Thank you!!! 
> 
> Also thank you to my girlfriend and cg for reading this and putting up with my regression. And dealing with my accidently writing tortilla instead of YouTube and then not shutting up about that. Love you, doll!!


	4. Safe Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Just... fluff.  
> (It's short again I'm so sorry)

A couple hours after Steve started doing research, he noticed Bucky was asleep on his shoulder. He'd been helping Steve out, giving him the names of the acronyms that were non-sexual and explaining different things, so Steve wasn't completely sure when he'd fallen asleep. He smiled and set his computer to the side. Slowly, he stood up, careful not to wake up his soldier, and lovingly slid his hands under Bucky's legs and back, picking him up bridal style. Bucky stirred slightly, turning to bury his face into the blonde's shoulder as he carried the sleeping little into his room. Gingerly, Steve laid him on his bed, only to lay down next to him. He stared lovingly at Bucky. 'He looks so relaxed.' he thought, brushing a long brown strand out of his lover's face. Bucky curled closer to Steve, seeking heat. Steve wrapped his arms around him, pulling Bucky close, and snuggled deeper into the pillows. Slowly, sleep overcame the super soldier and he slipped into dreams. Hours later, Bucky blinked awake and a wave of confusion washed over him. This was not his room. His duvet was black, not blue, and... hold on. He breathed a sigh of relief. This was Steve's room, which meant that the big lump next to him was just his boyfriend. He must have fallen asleep... helping... Steve... research... So it hadn't been a dream. Steve knew. And he didn't think he was weird or gross. The opposite actually, he wanted to understand. Bucky rolled over to look at the face of his sleeping Stevie. A wide smile rolled over his face. He kissed Steve's soft lips. "Babe. Babe, wake up. We slept through lunch. Babe." He kissed him again. "Doll!" Bucky laughed. "Come on! Wake up!" Steve started to stir and Bucky snorted. He kissed Steve's nose, then moved on to the rest of his face, showering him with kisses. As he started kissing Steve's neck, the blonde began to laugh. "Okay! Okay! I'm up!"  
Bucky smooshed a kiss to Steve's mouth. "Hi."  
"Hi. Sleep well?"  
"Yup! Did you?"  
"I think the wake up was my favorite part."  
Bucky snuggled possessively into Steve's side. "So what happened after I fell asleep?"  
"Aw, I just did more research. Although, I do have a couple of questions."   
"Ask away!"  
Steve rolled over to look at Bucky. "Alright. How old are you when you regress?"  
"Around two-ish mostly. Sometimes I'm older or younger though."  
"Alright. How'd you find out?"  
"I stumbled upon a YouTube video a couple months ago and was curious so I researched further into it and thought it could help me."  
Steve caressed Bucky's face. "Do you have any little supplies?"  
Bucky bit his lip. "...No."  
"Okay okay, last question." Steve looked into Bucky's blueberry eyes. "Could I be your caregiver?"  
Bucky blanched. "Wait what?" Steve sat up a bit. "I was thinking that maybe being a caregiver could help me and if I'm helping you than-"  
"Yes."  
"What?"  
"Steve! Yes! Of course! That's the best- I- Yes!" Bucky laughed, ecstatic. "This is amazing!"  
"Okay! Awesome! I was thinking we could set some rules and order stuff today?"  
"That'd be perfect!"  
Steve sat up fully, Bucky following in his stead. "Actually I have one last question."  
"Of course. Go ahead!"  
Steve rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I was thinking you could move into my room? Then we could make your old room into a sort of playroom. We could keep it locked when others are over or we could make it into an office and just keep your stuff in there if the playroom idea is too much."  
"A-are you sure? You don't have to."  
"I wouldn't mind a bit! It's kind of sudden though, I know."  
"No! No, it's perfect. I would love to share a room with you." Bucky said, his smile brighter than the sun.  
Steve smiled back at him, bright blue eyes gleaming. "Alright! It's settled then! We'll get started on that today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 4!!!!! YEAH BOIIIIIIII!!!!  
> Hi, I'm really tired. Moral of my story is don't eat a full pound of potato salad by yourself because your stomach will not love all that fiber. Very uncomfy. '  
> Kay byeeeeeeee!


	5. Bottles and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets excited about shopping.

Steve and Bucky sat on the sofa in front of the TV with lunches of peanut butter sandwiches and chips. Steve casted his laptop's screen to the TV, the website he needed already pulled up. Bucky perked up. "Oh hey! I've seen this shop!"  
"Makes my job easy. What do you want to look at first?"  
"Uhhhh... Bottles?"  
"Sure." Steve typed Bucky's request into the search bar, pulling up a catalog of bottles. "Let's get a mixture of sippy cups and bottles."  
"Sounds good."  
Steve scrolled a bit then stopped, clicking on a lime green sippy cup. "Ooh! This one glows in the dark. What do you think, Buck?"  
"It's alright. Are there any other colors?"  
Steve scanned the page. "Uhm... Oh! Yeah, there's some other colors. Pink, blue, purple, red-"  
He was cut off by an excited Bucky. "Yes! Red. Do red."  
Steve chuckled as he added it to the cart. "Alright. I'll let you pick 3 more sippy cups and then 4 bottles."  
Bucky nodded excitedly. He took a bite of good sandwich, watching as Steve scrolled down the page. He picked out a black galaxy light up sippy cup and a double handed one with the silhouettes of Peter Pan and the Darlings flying. He bit into a chip when something caught his eye. "Wait wait wait! Scroll back up."   
Steve did as Bucky asked and Bucky pointed excitedly at the TV. "Click on that one!"  
Steve smiled as he clicked on a red topped sippy cup, the body of which was double walled and clear. In-between the two walls was a clear liquid, a couple of plastic fish, and some fake seaweed, giving it the appearance of the ocean. As Bucky stared in awe of the cup, Steve chuckled.   
"You want that one, Buck?"  
"Please."  
Steve added it to the cart. "Alright. Pick some bottles now."  
"Uh can we just get 4 of the clear ones with the pastel blue bands?"  
"Really? Just those? We could get the ones with Winnie the Pooh art on them."  
Bucky thought on that. He /did/ like Winnie the Pooh. "Alright, but just 4 of those."  
"Alright, pal. Whatever you want."  
Bucky finished his lunch and scootched closer to lay on Steve's lap. "Can we look at pacis now?"  
"Let's do that last. I was thinking we could order some custom ones. How about we look at diapers?" Bucky blushed and began to chew on his lip, though he could feel a canker forming. "Actually," he said quietly. "I don't want diapers... They look really uncomfortable and embarrassing."  
Steve smiled. "That's fine. It's completely understandable and I'm glad you let me know. How about onesies then?"  
"Sure! Can I also pick out some little clothes in case we go out when I'm little?"  
"That's a great idea, Buck!"  
They ordered a couple of kugiramis, some snap crotch onesies, and some special outfits for when they went out, as well as some special sticks and underwear meant only for when Bucky regressed. After that they ordered some adult pacifiers (some custom while others were plain.) And some pacifier clips. Steve shut his laptop and kissed Bucky's forehead. "I recruited some of the others to help move your stuff into my room. Tony said he'd take care of the extra furniture that we don't want. You should go shower." He stood up, eliciting a whine from Bucky.  
"Do I gotta?"  
"Yes. Once they leave we'll type up some stuff for your little binder. We can go shopping for your nursery tomorrow."  
Bucky huffed. "Fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh hoo hoo! Extra chapters this week friends! Be on the lookout.  
> As always thank you for reading and thank you for your sweet comments!


	6. Bubble bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Bucky regresses for the first time around Steve, what shenanigan's will ensue?

The next day came and went in a blur. Steve and Bucky went to the store and picked out a selection of colorful storage buckets, toys, books, bath supplies, fairy lights, crafting supplies, and other fun things meant to go in Bucky’s nursery. Steve even let him pick out some stuffed animals. The blonde was very proud to have managed to pick out some baby lotion, a couple of soft blankets, a small backpack for Bucky, and a diaper bag for himself, all without Bucky noticing. The next morning when Steve awoke he was alarmed to find that Bucky wasn’t in bed and had left his favorite stuffie. Steve knew something was wrong. He found the brown haired super soldier in the bathroom, staring frustrated at the mirror. Bucky clenched his shaving razor in his shaking human hand and had tears forming in his narrowed eyes. From an outside point of view Steve knew it would have looked like Bucky was contemplating taking his own life, but Steve knew the truth. “Hey… Hey, Baby. What’s wrong.”  
Bucky turned to his boyfriend shyly. “‘S stupid.”  
“Buck, we’ve talked about this. It’s not stupid. What’s wrong, hun?”  
“‘M feeling small ‘nd I don’t want my stupid beard but my stupid hand’s shakin’ so much I can’t shave or I’ll cut myself.”  
“Ohh. That is a problem.” Steve smiled gently. “C’mere, love. I’ll do it for you.”  
Bucky walked over shyly and sniffled. He felt so pathetic and embarrassed being small for the first time in front of someone and being so reliant on Steve’s help. Steve lifted Bucky’s chin and wiped away his tears. “There’s my sweet baby boy. Alright. Up we go!” He picked up Bucky with a grunt and set him on the counter. Unbeknownst to him he’d succeeded in making Bucky feel less shy and embarrassed. Bucky giggled softly. He couldn’t help but feel a little better when Stevie was being so silly.  
“Can I have the razor, bud?”  
Bucky handed it to him and Steve smiled. “Thank you, Bear!”  
Bear. Bucky liked that. Steve shaved his boy’s face, smiling up at him when he was done. The older man looked so much younger without the stubble, though Steve supposed that was the point. “Wanna be little today, bud?”   
Bucky nodded shyly.  
“You’re already pretty much there, huh, buddy.”  
Another nod.  
“That’s alright. You can be as little as you want.”  
Bucky blinked, sinking deeper into his headspace. Steve could tell he wasn’t quite there yet. “How about this? Dada’s gonna make breakfast. Do you want a bath after you eat?”  
Bucky thought for a second and then nodded.  
“Alright. Do you want to walk or do you want me to carry you?”  
“Carry.”  
“Okay then, Bucky Bear.” Steve picked up his little and propped him up on his hip, grateful for the serum that had made him so strong. Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve as they went into the kitchen. Steve stopped near their island. “Hey, pal? I’m going to have to set you down. I need my hands, okay?”  
Bucky frowned but responded nevertheless. “‘Kay.”  
As Steve went about setting the table and getting food ready, Bucky sat on the floor, playing idly with his dinosaur stuffie.   
“Hey, Bucky? Do you want milk or juice?”  
“Juiceies pwese.”  
“Alrighty, Bear. Come sit up! Breakfast is ready!”  
Bucky scrambled to the table, excited to eat. Steve kissed his forehead. “Want me to cut your pancakes up for you, baby?”  
Bucky nodded excitedly and sat patiently, messily digging in as soon as his dada finished. Steve looked on, amused at how messy his baby boy had gotten from only a few pancakes. He finished his breakfast and looked at Bucky. “Well it looks like somebody needs a bath.”  
Bucky giggles. “Bah!”  
“Yeah, baby! Bath! You want one?”  
Bucky nodded ecstatically, his long hair flying into his face.  
“Alright, Bucky Bear.” Steve grabbed Bucky’s hand, gently guiding him into their large bathroom. He picked up his boy and set him on the counter, placing a kiss on his sticky cheek. Steve smacked his lips. “Mmm. You taste like syrup, baby boy!”  
Bucky squealed. “I sweet!!”  
Steve laughed and turned to switch on the water, sticking his hand under the faucet to make sure the water wouldn’t burn his Bucky. “You sure are, little one!” Steve opened up their cabinet and pulled out some bubble bath and colored fizzy tablets. “What color water do you want, sweetheart?”  
“WED!!”  
“Alright. Bubbles too?”  
“Yeth!”  
Steve laughed. “Good choice.” He pulled out two red fizzy tablets and gave them to Bucky. He lifted him up and set him on the ground. “You can put them in, kiddo!”  
Bucky toddled over excitedly and threw the tablets in, watching in wonder as the water began to turn his favorite color. Steve added in some of the cupcake scented bubble bath he’d let Bucky pick out the day before. Once their giant luxury bath tub (Thank you, Tony) was filled, Steve turned to Bucky who was sitting on the floor. “Let’s get you undressed, kiddo.” He knelt down. “Hands up, Bear!”  
Bucky threw his arms in the air and sat patiently as his dada pulled off his black tank top. The little laid down and stuck his legs in the air. “Pants, Dada!!”  
“Alright, Alright. Just let me set your shirt down.”  
Once Bucky was nude, Steve picked up his baby and gently set him in the warm water. Steve pulled out the bath toys they’d gotten and placed some of them in the tub. Bucky babbled and excitedly grabbed a rubber duck and rubber turtle. As Bucky played, Steve slowly rubbed gentle circles on his back. 20 minutes passed until Steve decided it was time for Bucky to get clean. “Alright, baby. Time to wash your hair.”  
“Noooo!! Dadaaa!!”  
“Sorry, bud. Your water’s getting cold. It’s time.”  
Bucky whined as Steve got him to lie down so he could get his hair wet, one hand supporting his head and the other one supporting his back. “There we go!” Steve cooed. “Such a good boy!”  
Once Bucky’s hair and body were washed, Steve emptied the tub and helped Bucky climb out. He grabbed one of their grey, fluffy towels and wrapped it around the shivering little, then proceeded to dry his hair. “Time to get dressed, little one!” Steve helped his bear slip his underwear on and put on his red t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Bucky was still shivering so Steve grabbed his grey hoodie (A gift from Nat) and slipped it onto Bucky’s body. Bucky’s smile grew wide. “Smells wike oo!”  
Steve laughed at his boy’s excitement. “It does, huh? You want fuzzy socks?”  
Bucky shook his head. “No twapped toesies.”  
“Fair. Do you want to color, do a puzzle, or watch some TV, Bear?”  
“Putzle!”  
“Puzzle.”  
“Putzle!”  
“Puz- Oh nevermind. Let’s go play, Bubba.”  
“‘TAY!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA! BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT TWO CHAPTERS IN TWO DAYS!!  
> Thanks for reading and commenting guys. And thank you for your kudos. I honestly never thought anyone would read this so. Thank you :)


	7. Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naps and puzzles.

Steve had been sitting on the couch, watching in amusement as Bucky did his puzzle, excitedly letting out a squeal each time he managed to match up a piece. Steve noticed suddenly that the room had gone quiet in the last couple of minutes. Steve peered over his book, checking to make sure Bucky was alright. Much to his surprise, he found that Bucky was slumped over on the ground, asleep and drooling. Steve smiled. Bucky hadn't been sleeping well recently, so Steve was glad that Bucky was taking a nap. He set his book aside, bending down to carefully pick up his lover and set him on the couch. He went to grab Bucky's blanket and stuffed rhino he'd named носорог (Nosorog.) After settling the blanket onto the brunette's body and setting the stuffed toy next to him, Steve went about picking up his little's mess and doing the dishes. Once he'd finished, Steve glanced at the clock. "11:45." He muttered. "What do you make a little for lunch..."  
Suddenly the door to their floor of the compound rang, startling Steve. "Crap! It's Wednesday!"  
At that moment, a cry came from the other room. "Dada!!!!"  
"Oh no." Steve ran to the other room to try to calm his little bear down. "I'm right here, baby. Sam's at the door though 'cause it's Wednesday. Do you want to go play in the nursery for a little bit while I talk to him and then we'll get lunch?"  
"NO!! WAN DADDY!!"  
Steve opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the doorbell. "Bud, I gotta get the door. You can start here, but Sam might see and I know you're worried about that."  
Bucky looked like he still wanted to argue but instead blushed and ran towards the playroom. Steve sighed and opened the door to a familiar face. "Hey Sam."  
"Hey man! You ready to go?"  
"I can't today. Bucky isn't feeling too well so I need to stay here." Steve lied.  
"Ah quit playing. Bucky can take care of himself for like an hour. He's an adult."  
"Uh. Sam, I really can't come to lunch today. It's more of a mental thing." Less of a lie.  
"Alright fine I'll cover for you. But you owe me, man."  
"I know. Have a good lunch, Sam."  
"You too."  
Steve shut the door with a sigh, glad to have gotten out of the weekly team lunch meeting. "OOOOOOOH BEAAARRR!!" He half sang, smiling as he heard feet padding down the hallway, the owner of those feet promptly jumping into his daddy's arms. "Dada!! I has kith?"  
Steve's smile grew wide as he placed a chaste kiss to Bucky's lips. "Of course!! What do you want for lunch, kiddo?"  
"P'nut budder applies?"  
"Okay! What else?"  
"Uhhhh... Dino nuggies?"  
Steve nuzzled Bucky's nose. "Good idea! That's a pretty healthy meal too! I think someone deserves a star!!"  
"Staw!!!"  
"You can pick one out after lunch, okay? You wanna watch Scooby Doo while we eat?"  
"Yeh!!"  
"Alrighty! Let's make lunch then!"  
...  
Bucky lay with his dada in bed. The blonde was reading him a story as they cuddled. The little slowly drifted off to sleep as happy thoughts filled his brain. The next morning, Bucky woke up feeling energized and refreshed. He looked at the lump next to him, still sleeping soundly. Smiling, he kissed the blonde gently on his forehead, put his arms around him, and promptly went back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *SCREECHING* YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST FOR READING THIS!!!!   
> I might post a Batfam one shot soon. Who knows.  
> More to come!!  
> Thanks for reading, dropping those good comments and kudos! I love you all!! Mwah!


	8. Update: sprained finger

Hi friends! I'm not going to be posting anything today as I sprained my index finger and it is a struggle to type even this. Sorry!! Love you all!


	9. Chapter 8 preview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I forgot my stupid notebook at home and am therefore unable to type up any more of chapter 8 than what I already have so here's a preview of it T_T  
> (I'm so sorry T_T)

Regression quickly became a staple I'm Steve and Bucky's lives. After a hard mission it was common for Bucky to slip into his headspace to better be emotionally prepared for any flashbacks that would possibly arise. It wasn't often that he needed to regress, he only needed to every once in a while. Sometimes he'd be in his headspace for up to a day but it was more common for him to be little only for an hour or so. Big or little, Steve loved him all the same and was constantly glad to help him. One day, Bucky ran up to him looking slightly panicked. "Stevie!!"  
"Buck? What's wrong?" Steve said, looking up from where he sat. Bucky paused and suddenly bent down to capture Steve's lips in a passionate kiss. Lips moving in sync, Steve pulled Bucky into his lap, deepening the kiss. Bucky let out a quiet mewl which caused Steve to smile into the kiss. The brunette bit gently on Steve's lip, softly tugging on it as he pulled back. "Tony's taking Peter and Shuri to the aquarium and they want me to come."  
"Oh?"  
"Nat's coming too."  
"Are you going to go?"  
"I want to but there's a problem."  
Steve shifted his weight gently as Bucky slid off his lap and onto the couch, laying his head on the blonde's knees. "And what might that be?"  
"I feel like I might regress because, well, fish. It's exciting."  
"Hmm. I'd come with you but I have that S.H.I.E.L.D briefing."  
Bucky booped Steve's nose. "Bingo, doll."  
Steve crossed his arms and frowned. "That is an issue.. What about this? What if we pack some things in your backpack? That way you have a couple of your things with you and then you can take lots of pictures and tell me all about your trip when you get home? I'll even pack some snacks for everyone so that you don't feel out of place when you get hungry and I'll give you some extra cash so you can buy a plushie!"


	10. Baby bags

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems and solutions, babyyyyy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE GOOOO (finally.)

Regression quickly became a staple I'm Steve and Bucky's lifes. After a hard mission it was common for Bucky to slip into his headspace to better be emotionally prepared for any flashbacks that would possibly arise. It wasn't often that he needed to regress, he only needed to every once in a while. Sometimes he'd be in his headspace for up to a day but it was more common for him to be little only for an hour or so. Big or little, Steve loved him all the same and was constantly glad to help him. One day, Bucky ran up to him looking slightly panicked. "Stevie!!"  
"Buck? What's wrong?" Steve said, looking up from where he sat. Bucky paused and suddenly bent down to capture Steve's lips in a passionate kiss. Lips moving in sync, Steve pulled Bucky into his lap, deepening the kiss. Bucky let out a quiet mewl which caused Steve to smile into the kiss. The brunette bit gently on Steve's lip, softly tugging on it as he pulled back. "Tony's taking Peter and Shuri to the aquarium and they want me to come."  
"Oh?"  
"Nat's coming too."  
"Are you going to go?"  
"I want to but there's a problem."  
Steve shifted his weight gently as Bucky slid off his lap and onto the couch, laying his head on the blonde's knees. "And what might that be?"  
"I feel like I might regress because, well, fish. It's exciting."  
"Hmm. I'd come with you but I have that S.H.I.E.L.D briefing."  
Bucky booped Steve's nose. "Bingo, doll."  
Steve crossed his arms and frowned. "That is an issue.. What about this? What if we pack some things in your backpack? That way you have a couple of your things with you and then you can take lots of pictures and tell me all about your trip when you get home? I'll even pack some snacks for everyone so that you don't feel out of place when you get hungry and I'll give you some extra cash so you can buy a plushie!"  
Bucky thought for a second. "Yeah that would be okay I think."  
Steve ran his fingers through the soft stands of Bucky's long brown hair. "I'll check up on you while you're gone. And remember that Nat was the one who helped me figure out that you were a little, so if you need to tell someone, I'm pretty sure she's okay with it."  
Bucky started to relax in Steve's lap as he brushed through his hair. "Yeah that's probably true." Bucky yawned.  
"When are you guys going to go?"  
The brunette glanced at the clock. 9:25 AM. He looked back at Steve. "11:30. We have about two hours."  
"Sounds good. You want to help me pack a bag?"  
"Sure."  
"Alright, why don't you meet me in the playroom while I go grab the bag?"  
Bucky gave a chaste nod and kissed Steve's lips before heading off to his playroom. Had Steve been by his side, he would have noticed the small glint of light that seemed to sparkle in Bucky's eyes as he opened the door to his safe space. He entered the newly furnished room, a sense of awe enveloping him as he plugged in the fairy lights Steve had helped him put up not long ago. He sat down in the middle of the floor, smiling as he looked at all his new little supplies, organized and tucked neatly away. There were soft, colorful blankets in a chest in the corner, a pastel blue bean bag in the corner upon which sat the extra weighted blanket they'd bought for times when he needed extra comfort upon regressing. Over the large beanbag they'd hung up a red stuffed animal net which was being slowly filled up. Upon the shelves in the closet they'd put his neatly folded clothes for when they'd go out, his sippy cups and bottles, as well as a single shelf solely dedicated to Bucky's pacifiers. Next to the shelves they'd hung Bucky's snap crotch onesies and kigurumis. Bucky knew his playroom wasn't quite done yet, they were still trying to find creative and fun ways to store his toys and Bucky wanted a play tent but he'd tell Steve about that later. But it was his playroom, it was safe and, well, Bucky had never felt luckier. Steve walked in, baby bag in tow, and grinned at the happy little on the floor. "Feeling small, pal?"  
"Just a little bit. It makes me happy every time." He gestured to the room around him. "After 70 years of pain and anger and fear, I never would have imagined feeling this safe or being able to cope or having a boyfriend and... It's the most amazing thing in the world."   
Steve dropped to the floor, embracing the older man in a tight hug. "I love you, Bucky Barnes." He said in a hushed whisper.  
"I love you too, Steve Rogers. Should we pack that bag, now?"  
"Let's do it."  
The two men packed the bag with everything Bucky would possibly need and ate a quick lunch before Bucky had to leave. When he eventually had to depart to go meet up with the others, Steve sent him out with a kiss and a "See you later!" As the super soldier watched his partner head off to the campus lawn, he said a silent prayer that nothing would go wrong, then went about preparing for his briefing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for being so patient with me, I'm so sorry about the wait. I'll finally be able to have access to Ao3 on my phone starting tomorrow so I'll hopefully be able to post a LOT more often. Also, I'm going to post my social tags (including the tag for my small business) down below!
> 
> Insta: @skyeb_20  
> Small business insta: @lemonjuiceart42  
> Tik tok: @holtthepuns (LilKiwiBoi42)
> 
> I'll put any other ones I end up getting in the notes! (Yay for turning 18 tomorrow!!!)  
> Thanks for reading guys!! Love y'all!!


	11. Fish and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aquariums and secrets

Peter and Shuri were ecstatic that their favorite robotic armed super soldier was coming to the aquarium with them. Sure, they loved Natasha Romanoff but there was just something about the white wolf that made them feel safe. Peter was the first to spot Bucky. "Mr. Barnes!! You came!"  
Bucky smiled. "Peter, we've talked about this. You can call me Bucky."  
"Oh, right. Sorry Mr. Bucky!"  
"Just B-"  
A hand over Bucky's mouth cut him off and a female voice joined the fray. "He's not going to stop and you know it, Barnes. Let him have his thing." Nat said. Bucky rolled his eyes at the redhead. "Hey Nat."  
"Where's lover boy?"  
"SHIELD briefing. Couldn't make it."  
Tony Stark clapped his hands together as he entered the room, his trademark sunglasses perched precariously in his tanned nose. "Everyone here?" He asked not waiting for an answer. "Good. Let's get going, kids."  
…  
As soon as Bucky entered the aquarium, he paused, feeling almost overwhelmed by the excitement coursing through his veins. Tony, Peter, and Shuri walked ahead, the two teens chatting excitedly. Nat paused by Bucky's side. "You alright?"  
"Yeah. I just haven't been to an aquarium since I was a kid. It's kind of overwhelming."  
"Alright. Just tell me if something goes wrong, okay?"  
"Will do." Bucky saluted. "Thanks, Nat." Things were going well as they walked through the aquarium. Bucky seemed to have no issues staying big, even being able to refrain from regressing when they stopped at the otter exhibit. He occasionally fiddled with a small squishy toy he had but everything was going swimmingly. That is until they got to the touch pool. Immediately, Peter and Shuri stuck their hands in, gently stroking the back of a passing stingray, but Tony and Nat, like most of the adults, stood back and watched. Bucky observed their behavior and tried to mimic it, but he REALLY wanted to let the stingray. He crossed his arms and squirmed in the spot where he stood, face scrunching into a pout. Unknown to him, Nat watched, noting that he seemed frustrated, she put her hand on his shoulder. "Barnes? You Alright?" She whispered to him in russian. Bucky blushed and turned his head away from Nat, keeping quiet. "Myshka? Talk to me please."  
"'S private."  
"Do you want to find somewhere quiet and talk about it?"  
"You'd probably hate me."  
Natasha smirked at the ex-assassin. "You shot me in the stomach and that didn't make me hate you. I think you'd be fine."  
"Yeah but I was brainwashed then. This is after."  
"Barnes. Let's go talk. Please." Nat sighed. "I don't think it's possible for me to hate you."  
"Promise?"  
"Promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I'm going through some crap.   
> Also quick fix on my tiktok username it's @holtthepuns  
> Sorry about that. Thanks for reading guys.


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